An NHS chief offered a payment to an employee who was considering legal action
over the deaths of his wife and newborn son in an alleged "hush money"
deal.

Tony Halsall, the former hospital trust chief executive at the centre of a police investigation into infant deaths, made the offer of £3,000 to Carl Hendrickson, whose wife and son died at Furness General Hospital in Cumbria.

The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that the offer of a "goodwill" payment is being investigated.

A spokesperson said: "The allegations now put to this new Board that this offer of a payment is being considered as ‘hush money’ will be treated extremely seriously and investigated further.”

Mr Hendrickson's grief was compounded by the news that poor care had claimed the lives of up to 14 babies in the maternity unit at the same hospital.

Last week it emerged that executives at the Care Quality Commission watchdog had deliberately suppressed evidence that it had not carried out proper inspections of the hospital, and that the CQC had known as far back as 2009 that there had been 12 'serious untoward incidents' at Furness General.

Mr Hendrickson has begun legal action against the trust for clinical negligence, with an initial hearing to take place in July.

He was offered a payment by Mr Halsall to move jobs from Furness General where he worked as a £13,500 cleaner.

Friends of Mr Hendrickson told the Daily Mail he was offended by the offer which he considered a "bribe" to stop his awkward questions.

They allege that Mr Halsall made the offer of £3,000 and offered to help Mr Hendrickson to find a job in Preston.

Mr Halsall, who stood down in 2012, has denied that the offer was a bribe.

He said: "We discussed some financial support to help with relocation. There has never been any attempt to prevent Mr Hendrickson talking about the circumstances of his wife and son’s very sad deaths."

John Cowdall, Chair of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As the new Chair of the Trust I have recently spoken with Mr Hendrickson regarding his request for further information.

“I understand from our records that Mr Halsall, the former Chief Executive of the Trust wrote to Mr Hendrickson and his legal advisors in 2011 confirming an offer of a payment as a gesture of goodwill towards a former employee. The allegations now put to this new Board that this offer of a payment is being considered as ‘hush money’ will be treated extremely seriously and investigated further.”